The Plain English Campaign has done much to save us from jargon and impenetrable language from government departments and companies. It was a surprise then that the Met Office won a 2011 Golden Bull Award for its weather forecasts. Among the phrases that the campaign objected to were "excess surface water" and "temperatures really struggling", both of which seem to be clear in their meaning and helpful to drivers and people going outdoors. One description last week, "a rash of beefy showers", was also found objectionable, although seems to exactly describe certain weather conditions.

There is a tension between being correct scientifically and colourful language in weather forecasting. Describing the conditions in ways people understand can be demanding. The Met Office defended its use of the phrase "the probabilities of precipitation" by saying that this covered failing snow, hail and drizzle as well as rain. At this time of year half of degree can make the difference between rain and a heavy snowfall so "precipitation" is a fudge. Foreigners learning English are told that one of their most useful skills on arriving in Britain will be their ability to converse about the weather. One website helpfully offers 63 terms that might be needed for this task, including "slushy", "wind chill factor" and "raining cats and dogs." This last phrase is not used on the weather forecasts but the important point is that everybody knows what it means.